Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Monday 2 August 1999

Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-270 by Ross Finnie on 13 July, what measures at the disposal of the European Commission it intends to encourage the Commission to use to assist the pig farming industry in Scotland.

Ross Finnie: We shall continue to press the European Commission to use the main measures - namely export refunds and private storage aids – at its disposal in as cost-effective a way as possible to help deal with over-production in the pigmeat sector.

Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will arrange for the publication of details of all financial awards, and the purpose of these awards, made by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to the Computer Department of Aberdeen University over the last year.

Henry McLeish: Scottish Higher Education Funding Council's allocation to Aberdeen University last year was published in the SHEFC Circular Letter No. 8/98, 18 March 1998, copies of which have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. SHEFC made no awards direct to the Computer Department of Aberdeen University.

Energy Efficiency

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the Scottish share of the £300 million UK domestic energy efficiency funding over the next two years.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.

Finance

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact its announcement of 24 June 1999 in relation to Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) will have on the five PFI projects agreed by Falkirk Council.

Mr Jack McConnell: Those improvements to public private partnerships I announced on 24 June which relate to matters covered by contract will have no impact on the Falkirk Council scheme for the construction of 5 new schools. This is because, with the exception of the announcement on pension provisions, these changes took effect from 24 June and will not be applied retrospectively. It is worth noting however, that the Council has an option to purchase the schools at market value, capped at £5 million, at the end of the initial contract, if it wants to do so.

  The provisions for better protection for staff pensions came into effect on 14 June. I promised to publish more financial information for PFI projects on a sector by sector basis and have already made details of estimated service payments available in answer to a question from Andrew Wilson (S1W-357). Figures for the Falkirk project were included in the local authority sector.

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what is the expected impact on the financial systems of local authorities in Scotland in the event of the United Kingdom entering European Monetary Union and what measures will be put in place to deal with the impact.

Mr Jack McConnell: There would be considerable implications for financial systems. For example systems including payroll, pension, purchasing and billing operations would need to be adapted to handle the Euro as would council tax and business rate collection arrangements. Coin-operated machines would need altered and pricing policies examined.

  The precise implications would vary from council to council. In the event of the UK joining it would be up to each council to identify the impact on its operations; and to plan accordingly. But in that event support and guidance would be offered based, amongst other things, on experience in first-wave countries and on pilot projects. Information and experience will be shared through the central/local government working group and the local authorities’ own network of officials.

Finance

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total projected expenditure for the current financial year by local authority economic development departments in Scotland as a whole and in each local authority area.

Mr Jack McConnell: The information relating to each local authority’s budgeted net revenue expenditure is contained in the table.

  COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

  

 
Budget
Estimates 



 
1999-2000




 
£000




Aberdeen, City 
2,632 



Aberdeenshire 
-1,939 



Angus 
892 



Argyll and Bute 
529 



Clackmannanshire 
91 



Dumfries & Galloway 
403 



Dundee 
1,893 



East Ayrshire 
1,871 



East Dunbartonshire 
935 



East Lothian 
294 



East Renfrewshire 
278 



Edinburgh, City 
2,264 



Eilean Siar 
1,068 



Falkirk 
-852 



Fife 
4,964 



Glasgow City 
21,056 



Highland 
497 



Inverclyde 
512 



Midlothian 
2,214 



Moray 
513 



North Ayrshire 
341 



North Lanarkshire 
-802 



Orkney 
138 



Perth and Kinross 
490 



Renfrewshire 
862 



Scottish Borders 
-503 



Shetland 
2,196 



South Ayrshire 
999 



South Lanarkshire 
5,532 



Stirling 
-381 



West Dunbartonshire 
-3,169 



West Lothian 
514 



SCOTLAND
46,332




Notes:


 



  i) Figures are taken from local authorities’ 1999 Provisional Outturn & Budget Estimate (POBE) returns to The Scottish Office  ii) All figures are net current expenditure and are also net of loan & leasing charges.

Finance

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the projected expenditure for the current financial year by local authority economic development departments in Scotland on (a) staff and administration and (b) economic development activities.

Mr Jack McConnell: This information is not held centrally.

Food Additives

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to ensure that labelling of meat or agricultural produce is more detailed in order to draw the consumer’s attention to additives such as hormones.

Ross Finnie: Additives used in food are agreed at EU level. The use of such additives is controlled in Scotland by the Miscellaneous Food Additives Regulations 1995 which prescribe permitted additives to be used in certain foods. Food containing additives is required by the Food Labelling Regulations 1996 to be specifically labelled.

  Hormones are not defined as food additives under these Regulations. The use of hormones is controlled, however, by separate legislation which prohibits their use as growth promoters in animals in the European Union. This measure is implemented in Scotland by the Animals and Fresh Meat (Hormonal Substances) Regulations 1988.

Health

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the value of the increase in land and property prices in Edinburgh between 1996 and 1998 compared to the Retail Price Index (RPI); what the value of this difference was to the company contracted to build the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh; and why the value of the contract awarded to the company was linked to the RPI over this period.

Susan Deacon: The Retail Price Index increased by 6.9% from 1996 to 1998. There is no generally accepted authoritative index for the movement in land prices in Edinburgh or nationally. The movement in residential property prices is monitored by various bodies but normally on an all-Scotland basis and again no single generally accepted index is available. Given also that there is no agreed correlation between land and house prices it was concluded that the most reliable basis for indexing price change was the Retail Price Index.

Health

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the current health service contracts which have been market tested and awarded to the private sector indicating: (a) the location; (b) the service type; (c) the organisation winning the tender, and (d) the expiry date of the contract.

Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally.

Health

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the composition, terms of reference and timescale for completion of the review team established by the Chief Nursing Officer, as announced in Towards A Healthier Scotland (February 1998), to review the contribution made by nurses to improving the public’s health, focusing especially on the role of the health visitor, the school nurse and the practice nurse.

Susan Deacon: Establishment of the Chief Nursing Officer’s review of the contribution made by nurses to improving the public’s health has been postponed pending the completion of the Chief Medical Officer’s review of the public health function. Given the importance we attach to improving the health of the people of Scotland it is vital that these important pieces of work are complementary and focus the efforts of both professions on the considerable task facing us.

  Work on the Chief Medical Officer’s review is nearing a conclusion and it is anticipated that a detailed proposal for the Chief Nursing Officer’s review will be brought forward in the autumn.

Health

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what opportunity was given to representatives of the health professions and patients’ organisations to nominate representatives to the review team established by the Chief Nursing Officer to examine the contribution made by nurses to improving the public’s health, as announced in Towards a Healthier Scotland , (February 1998).

Susan Deacon: The steering group for the review of the contribution made by nurses to improving the public health has not yet been established. The Chief Nursing Officer wishes to ensure that all relevant professional and public interests are appropriately involved in the work of the review. Details of the membership of the review steering group will be available in the autumn.

Health

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in commissioning the study into student nurse attrition rates, referred to in the Acute Services Review Report, (May 1998), and what is the timescale for completion and publication of the research findings.

Susan Deacon: Following the publication of the Acute Services Review, it became apparent that a number of studies into student nurse attrition were already taking place. This included research by Stirling University, practical initiatives by other Scottish providers of nurse education, and a comprehensive study funded by the Welsh Office.

  The Scottish Office convened a seminar in April 1999, attended by representatives of all seven Scottish providers of diploma level pre-registration nurse education, and of a number of NHS Trusts. The findings from the various studies were presented, and ideas on how to reduce unnecessary attrition were shared. In view of the amount of knowledge already available, the seminar concluded that a further study by the Scottish Office was not a high priority.

  All seven institutions are tackling attrition in collaboration with their local Trusts. Their attrition rates are monitored annually by the Scottish Executive.

Health

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the proposals to explore the "underpinning causes of student nurse attrition" referred to in the Acute Services Review Report, (May 1998), and whether it will make a statement.

Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to my earlier answer, S1W-598.

Local Authorities

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total number of staff currently employed in local authority economic development departments for Scotland as a whole and in each local authority area.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The following extract from the most recent edition of the Local Authority Joint Staffing Watch (published jointly by the Scottish Executive and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) shows the number of full-time equivalent staff employed by Scottish local authorities at December 1998 for the provision of Planning and Economic Development services.

  Planning and Economic Development Services

  

Local Authority 
Full-time equivalent staff employed
as at December 1998


Aberdeen City
170 



Aberdeenshire
186 



Angus
66 



Argyll & Bute
68 



Clackmannanshire
32 



Dumfries & Galloway
95 



Dundee City
140 



East Ayrshire
82 



East Dunbartonshire
57 



East Lothian
46 



East Renfrewshire
39 



Edinburgh, City of
199 



Eilean Siar
23 



Falkirk
70 



Fife
333 



Glasgow City
257 



Highland
149 



Inverclyde
59 



Midlothian
92 



Moray
69 



North Ayrshire
60 



North Lanarkshire
204 



Orkney Islands
15 



Perth & Kinross
61 



Renfrewshire
99 



Scottish Borders
84 



Shetland Islands
49 



South Ayrshire
81 



South Lanarkshire
136 



Stirling
99 



West Dunbartonshire
56 



West Lothian
88 



SCOTLAND
3,261

Post Office

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made or intends to make to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that there will be a continuing presence in the form of an office and staff to deal directly with complaints from Post Office users in Scotland.

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government over a range of matters, including those relating to the Post Office.

Rural Affairs

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will circulate information on the 2000-01 round of Rural Challenge Funding earlier than in previous years to allow community groups more time to research and complete their applications.

Ross Finnie: The Rural Challenge Fund forms part of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund which is under examination by the Executive in the context of its policy objectives. Every effort will be made to provide information about the Challenge Fund as soon as possible.

Rural Affairs

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it has for continuation funding for Rural Partnerships.

Ross Finnie: Funding of registered Rural Partnerships is met from the Rural Strategic Support Fund, part of the Scottish Rural Partnership Fund. The conditions applicable to Rural Partnerships provide that grant support is for three years only, staged degressively to encourage an exit strategy by the organisation concerned. The Scottish Rural Partnership Fund as a whole is under examination by the Executive in the context of its policy objectives.